Written Answers

Friday 3 November 2000

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9447 by Henry McLeish on 18 September 2000, with which organisations within the agricultural industry and which other interested parties it is in contact with regard to the strategy to assist the future viability and sustainability of Scottish farming.

Ross Finnie: The Executive has engaged in wide-ranging consultation and discussions with interested parties from all sectors of the agriculture industry in Scotland. These contacts have ranged from individual farmers and bodies representing farmers’ interests, other parts of the food industry, including those involved in the marketing and processing stages, through to retailers and consumers. Additionally there has been contact with many bodies and organisations with environmental, other specialist rural and professional agricultural business interests.

  The work has been taken forward in various ways: the publication in April 2000 of A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture – A Discussion Document (over 3,000 paper copies distributed in addition to the text being available on our website); a major conference in June 2000 with over 170 attendees from over 70 organisations; over 80 public contributions in response to the Discussion Document (see Table 1 for a list of the contributors), and seven regional discussion meetings held throughout the summer months (see Table 2 for meeting locations). I also chair an Agriculture Strategy Steering Group (see Table 3 for the membership list) created to advise me on the development of the Agriculture Strategy.

  Table 1: List of Public Contributors

  


Aberdeenshire Council




Abernethy Trust




Angus Council




Argos Associates




Association of Deer Management Groups




The Association for the Protection 
of Rural Scotland




Bidwells




Cairngorms Partnership




Central Scotland Countryside Trust




CoSLA




Council for Scottish Archaeology




The Crofters Commission




Dr R H M Hay on behalf of the crop 
scientists of the International Crop Science Congress




Deer Commission for Scotland




Dumfries and Galloway Council




Easter Weens Enterprises




European Rural Exchange (Scottish 
network)




Farm Stock (Scotland) Ltd




Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group 
– Scottish Borders




Forestry Commission




Formartine Partnership




The General Assembly of the Church 
of Scotland Committee on Church and Nation




The Highland Council




Highlands & Islands Enterprise




The Law Society of Scotland




Macaulay Land Use Research Institute




Meat and Livestock Commission




Midlothian Council




Moray Council




National Farmers’ Union of Scotland




National Farmers’ Union of Scotland 
– Selkirk Branch




National Pig Association Scottish 
Campaign Group




National Pig Association Scottish 
Campaign Group




The National Trust for Scotland




North of Scotland Water Authority




Organic Farmers Scotland




Organic Scotland




Orkney Islands Council




The Paths for all Partnership




Perth & Kinross Council




The Ramblers Association




Renfrewshire Council




The Royal Institution of Chartered 
Surveyors in Scotland




The Royal Society of Edinburgh




The Royal Society for the Protection 
of Birds, Scotland




Safeway Stores




Scottish Agricultural College




Scottish Borders Council




Scottish Borders Economic Development 
Forum




Scottish Consumer Council




Scottish Enterprise Network




Scottish Enterprise Grampian




Scottish Environment Protection Agency




Scottish Landowners’ Federation




Scottish Natural Heritage




Scottish Organic Producers Association




Scottish Retail Consortium




Scottish Wildlife Trust




South Ayrshire Council




The Southern Uplands Partnership




Standards Committee of the Biodynamic 
Agricultural Association (Demeter)




Stirling Council




Tilhill Economic Forestry Ltd




The Vegan Organic Network (VON)




West Lothian Council




West of Scotland Water




The Woodland Trust Scotland




World Wildlife Fund Scotland




16 Individuals




  Table 2: Meeting Locations

  


St Boswells, Scottish Borders




Thurso, Caithness & Sutherland




Kirkwall, Orkney




Lerwick, Shetland




Turnberry, Ayrshire, Dumfries & 
Galloway




Inverurie, Aberdeenshire
Perth, Perth and Kinross




  Table 3: Agriculture Strategy Steering Group Membership List

  


Jim Walker


President, National Farmers’ Union 
of Scotland




Jonathan R Hall


Rural Policy Adviser, Scottish Landowners’ 
Federation




Jim McFarlane


Chief Executive, Scottish Enterprise 
Borders




Andrew Raven


Chairman, Deer Commission for Scotland




John Markland


Chairman, Scottish Natural Heritage




Neil Stoddart


President, Scottish Association of 
Meat Wholesalers




Chris Gilbert-Wood


Technical Manager, Marks & Spencer




Neil Kilpatrick


Chairman, Quality Meat Scotland




Jim McLean


Agricultural Services Manager, Royal 
Bank of Scotland




Sandy Cumming


Acting Chief Executive, Highlands 
& Islands Enterprise




Graeme Millar


Chairman, Scottish Consumer Council




J Barclay Forrest OBE


Chairman, British Cereal Exports




Donald Maclennan


President, Scottish Crofters Union

Lingerbay Quarry

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an urgent decision on the planning application at Lingerbay Quarry in Harris, given the length of time that this issue has been under consideration.

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when an announcement will be made on the proposed superquarry at Lingerbay.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Ministers have issued a letter today announcing their decision. A copy has been sent to all the parties who attended the public local inquiry into this proposal. A copy has also been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Ministerial Correspondence

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Health and Community Care will reply to my letter of 8 August 2000 concerning my constituent Mr H McKean.

Susan Deacon: My officials are currently investigating the matters raised in that letter. I will reply as soon as possible.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the departmental sponsorship of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Henry McLeish: I have decided to transfer the sponsorship of the Scottish Qualifications Authority from the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department to the Education Department. Ministerial responsibility for the SQA therefore moves from the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning to the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs. This change takes effect immediately.

Water Fluoridation

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2201 by Susan Deacon on 7 September 2000, which organisations it has consulted concerning the possible effects of its proposals for water fluoridation.

Susan Deacon: A wide-ranging consultation document on children’s oral health will be issued in the New Year. This will include options for fluoridation of the public water supply as well as other options such as fluoridated drinks and fluoride tablets. It will be circulated widely and allow full opportunity for individuals and organisations to express their views.

Water Fluoridation

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any studies looking at any possible connection between water fluoridation and thickening of the blood or any other possible side effects and what those studies found.

Susan Deacon: The report of the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York University was published on 6 October. Over 200 individual studies of fluoridation were reviewed, the most comprehensive review ever, but I understand none of the studies considered thickening of the blood. I have arranged for a printed copy to be placed in SPICe when available. In the meantime the report can be found on www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/fluores.htm .